Browser-based

Web-based programs that run through a browser such as Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer or Firefox rather than being installed locally on individual computers.

Overview

In the past, most educational technology programs arrived on compact discs and had to be loaded either on individual machines or into a central server at a school. Increasingly, software is delivered via the web (Cloud computing) through a web browser.

There can be, at times, mismatches between the age of a web-browser and education-technology applications. For instance, older browsers may have poor support for evolving web technologies (see HTML5), or may not have all the components (often called "plug-ins") needed to effectively run the most recent version of an edtech program.

Certain browsers, such as Chrome, are set to automatically update themselves, which reduces the likelihood of running older browsers. Keeping browsers up to date is high on the list of important school IT tasks.